The country star reveals 11 foods she can't live without

"We always have microwavable bacon. It's like my family's favorite food in the world, and it's really low calorie actually. It's the easiest breakfast. I can make eggs and bacon really easily or a bagel with bacon. [The kids] just love it," Evans says.

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Sara Evans' Kitchen Staples

Country crooner Sara Evans is hard at work this summer. Her new single "Anywhere" from her latest album Stronger releases July 24, and she's gearing up to record a new album this fall. She's also the matriarch of a blended family of seven children with husband Jay Barker, and she recently joined forces with The Nutro Company to help encourage dog owners nationwide to apply for grants to help enhance local dog parks with the Room to Run project.

We caught up with the country star to find out how she stays fit, trim, and in control with such a busy schedule. One of her favorite workouts? Brisk, long walks with her maltipoo Roman. "Usually he gets tired before me!" Evans says.

And her diet? A few of the star's kitchen staples might surprise you! Read on to see the 11 foods she can't live without. Plus find out her secret for indulging without packing on pounds!

Photo Credit: Ann-Marie Hensley

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Mozzarella Cheese

Fresh mozzarella is a necessity in Evan's house. "I love to eat that on tomatoes—like a caprese salad."

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Carrots and Ranch

A quick and easy snack—she dresses carrots with everyone's favorite Ranch dressing for a bit of flavor. "We eat a lot of carrots. Carrots with ranch dressing."

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Quaker Oat Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars

"I like the Quaker oat bars, like the peanut butter ones. They're 90 calories. They totally fill me up, and they taste like a sweet because I love peanut butter."

Photo credit: Quakeroats.com

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Cheeseburger and Fries

An oldie but a goldie, Evans admits she will plan ahead when she knows she wants to splurge on her guilty pleasures like a cheeseburger and French fries. Even still, she keeps a very active lifestyle.

"I'm very very big on playing sports instead of working with a trainer. I've tried sort of everything and I've come to the conclusion that I need to play tennis or throw a softball or walk with friends." Feeling active can't feel like a chore, she adds.

In addition to playing tennis a minimum of three times a week, Evans plays other sports with her seven children (four from marriage, three of her own), including ultimate Frisbee, volleyball, softball, and basketball.

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Grilled Chicken

Evans likes to keep this on hand for anything and everything, especially as post-workout fuel. "It's a great snack and it's high in protein. I'll come in from playing tennis in the morning and eat leftover grilled chicken."

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Salads

"I try to be on the healthy side as much as I can. For dinner I will pretty much always make a salad, no matter what I'm eating."

The singer likes to mix up the ingredients in her salads to keep things interesting, but her favorite combination includes feta cheese, roasted walnuts or pecans, tomatoes, red peppers, and bacon.

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String Cheese

Evans always keeps string cheese around for a quick and easy snack that fills her up with limited calories.

Photo credit: Sargento.com

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Microwave Bacon

"We always have microwavable bacon. It's like my family's favorite food in the world, and it's really low calorie actually. It's the easiest breakfast. I can make eggs and bacon really easily or a bagel with bacon. [The kids] just love it," Evans says.

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Deli Turkey Meat

Easy for making lunches for the kids, deli turkey meat is a great source of protein to keep on hand. Just be sure to keep the sodium in check.

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Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

While Evans says her sweet tooth rarely bites, she makes a batch of her "to-die-for" homemade chocolate chip cookies once a week. "They're like your grandma's cookies, and they're really huge. It's like each cookie is a combination of cookie and bread."

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Hawaiian Pizza

When it comes to guilty pleasures, pizza is where it's at for Evans. Her favorite? The delicious combination of ham, bacon, and pineapple: the Hawaiian pizza.

How does she indulge without guilt? At the end of the day (literally!), calorie counting is how she maintains her weight. "I like to stay between 1,000 to 1,200 calories—more if I'm working out. That seems to be the one thing that really helps me stay on target. It's not limiting any foods, but just counting the calories that I'm taking it. That's always been my sure bet to staying the weight that I want to be."